Author: Mia James
Exercise might be one of the best things we can do to
improve our health and quality of life, and being active
can help us feel better, inside and out, even when
our bodies and spirits are taxed by a cancer diagnosis.
Patients and caregivers both find that physical activity
keeps their bodies functioning well and their morale
high in challenging times.
According to experts in both mind-body medicine and physical
therapy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, exercise can be a powerful contributor to both emotional
and physical health. “Exercise is a healthy diversion from the worries
we rehearse,” explains Rhonda Colley, MS, LPC, LMFT, a mind-body
therapist at CTCA in Tulsa. Furthermore, exercise triggers a physiological
response that can actually boost our mood. “As we exercise, often the
nervous system is impacted in a positive way, reversing the body’s physical
responses to stress. At a certain level of exercise, the brain can begin
to release endorphins, a natural mood lifter,” Colley says.
Karen Gilbert, PT, national director of oncology rehabilitation, also
based at CTCA in Tulsa, says that in addition to the emotional benefits
of activity and obvious physical gains such as strength and weight maintenance,
exercise can improve health at a fundamental level. “Exercise is
one of those activities that has the benefit of increasing nutrition to all
the organs of the body by increasing the pumping of the two pathways
back to the heart: the circulatory system and the lymphatic system,” she
explains.
A remedy for patient and caregiver
Sarah and Bruce Cooper of Andover, Kansas, have both relied on exercise
for health and happiness during their respective cancer journeys.
Within 10 years they each experienced both sides of the cancer spectrum—
as patients and as caregivers. Bruce first served as caregiver for Sarah when she was diagnosed with breast
cancer in 2001. By 2011 Sarah had transitioned
from patient to caregiver, as Bruce
had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
As the couple have approached cancer
diagnoses and treatment from both the
patient and caregiver angles, they’ve both
turned to exercise to cope with the many
ups and downs of the experiences.
The Coopers have always led active
lives, so it was natural to make exercise a
priority during both cancer journeys. In
fact, staying active helped them feel “normal,”
as Sarah says. To this Bruce adds,
“Since I have been active all my life, to
continue with exercise was a way to be in
a normal state.”
According to Gilbert, the Coopers’
decision to stay active during treatment
was healthy on many levels. “Engaging
in any activity that is part of your normal
routine during treatment for cancer
is another message to yourself that there
is more to life than being a patient,” she
explains.
For both of the Coopers, being a caregiver
was more stressful than being a
patient, so physical activity was an especially
welcome coping strategy. “I was
more overwhelmed with all of the details
of treatment as a caregiver—much more
so than as a patient,” Sarah explains, adding
that in addition to being stressed and
exhausted, she gained more weight while
caring for Bruce than she ever had before.
But by getting out and moving, Sarah was
able to take care of herself and her husband.
“Exercise was a huge part of my
daily routine, and it helped me get away
from the 24/7 role of caring for Bruce,”
she says. “Each morning before Bruce
awoke, I ran or walked 5 to 6 miles.”
Bruce and Sarah incorporated their
favorite activities with some new forms
of exercise to address the emotional and
physical needs specific to their experiences
mind-body connection
as patients and caregivers. “I bicycled,
race-walked, ran, and strength-trained as
a patient,” Sarah says. “As a caregiver I did
the same activities and added tai chi and
racquetball.” She even stayed competitive
after the diagnosis, including training
for and completing a half marathon.
Sarah then celebrated the conclusion of
her treatment with a weeklong bike ride
across Kansas.
Bruce says that he also maintained a full
fitness schedule: “I bicycled, race-walked,
and ran as a caregiver. By the time I was
a patient, I had added weight-training,
so I continued with that.” Fun and family
time was another important aspect of exercise
for Bruce during treatment; he kept
weekly disc golf games with his son and
nephew.
The Coopers maintained an ambitious
schedule by any standard—let alone for
two people confronting cancer from both
the patient and caregiver sides. How did they find motivation during these physically
and emotionally challenging times?
“I always felt better after I worked out,”
says Sarah, even though the only “workout”
she could manage on some days during
treatment involved a “walk to the next
park bench” before she needed to rest. “I
needed the sun on my face and the sweat
dripping down my forehead to feel that all
would be well again,” she explains.
Every little bit counts
Though physical activity for Sarah and
Bruce sometimes includes half marathons
and long-distance bike rides, you can define
exercise to meet your own needs and
abilities. “We are not asking ourselves to
do the impossible,” Gilbert says, explaining
that any extra physical effort in our
day is reason to be proud and will serve us
well—mind and body.
The first rule for newcomers to exercise
as well as for those returning to activity following treatment, according to Gilbert,
is to consult your health care team. Your
doctors, physical therapist, and others can
help you determine which types of activities
are appropriate for you and which
ones you should avoid. For example, your
doctor will need to evaluate whether
your heart and lungs can tolerate the increased
demands of exercise.
Gilbert encourages individuals who
may not be as active as Sarah and Bruce
to set appropriate goals, beginning with
a simple increase in any activity. For example,
“Are you always looking for a bed
or chair during your waking hours?”
she asks. If so, simply finding something
to do that keeps you out of that chair
for more than 50 percent of the day is a
healthy start. And you don’t need a gym
or special equipment; basic activities
such as going out to get the mail, taking
the stairs rather than an elevator, or
parking farther from your destination
and walking the remaining distance will
add movement to your day.
Furthermore, physical activity need
not be exhausting to be beneficial. Gilbert
recommends a moderate level of exertion,
which she describes as “somewhat
hard, or around 65 percent of your maximum
heart rate.” Other tips she gives for
monitoring your activity level are to “stop
when you feel like you could have done
more” and to “never go past slight shortness
of breath.” In other words, don’t wear
yourself out entirely and do make sure
that you can talk during activity.
Moving forward
Given a real love for an active lifestyle and
the profound sense of health and wellbeing
that Sarah and Bruce found in exercise
during their cancer journeys, exercise
will undoubtedly remain an important
part of their lives—something that connects
them to their strongest, healthiest,
and happiest selves. “Exercise and being
active is a huge part of my life, and I am
so grateful to be able to participate,” Sarah
explains.
Bruce agrees, saying that due to all the
good he’s already enjoyed with an active
lifestyle, “I want to continue to reap the benefits of exercise.”
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